THE APOSTILLE AND EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IT

What is the Apostille?

The apostille is a seal which appears on a document and legalizes it. Said seal is called the apostille of the Hague. The addition of the apostille is regulated by the Hague Convention of the 5th of October of 1961, whose principal objective is to facilitate and shorten the necessary procedure for the authentication of a document, thereby overcoming the need for Consular and Diplomatic Legalization of public documents issued in a State that is a signatory of said agreement, which should take effect in another State, also a signatory.

The apostilleis not an additional document, but a seal that legitimizes the written content which it covers. Those documents coming from countries that are not signatories of the Hague Convention which are to take effect in another country, will also need to carry out the process of legalization, although through a different procedure to that of the apostille.

What does an apostille look like?

The apostilles, issued from the competent authority of the country that requires the document, have certain similar formal aspects: they usually have a square or rectangular shape and the title is composed in French ( Apostille: Convention de la haye du 5 Octubre 1961).

Which documents need an apostille?

The apostille is always necessary when a document issued from one country needs to take legal effect in a different State. With this seal the content of the document is authenticated and recognized in any other country that is a signatory of the Hague Convention.

Where can I go to apostille a document?

Public Administrative Documents(some administrative documents require prior recognition of signature), and Judicial (including civil register documents), the citizen may, at his choice, apply to any of the Competent Authorities mentioned below:

Central Office of Attention to the Citizen of the Ministry of Justice.

Territorial Managements of the Ministry of Justice and Delegated Offices of Ceuta and Melilla.

Government Secretariats of the Superior Courts of Justice.

Notarial documents and private documentswhose signatures have been authenticated for a Notary:

Notary Colleges or those Notaries to whom they delegate.

Public judicialdocumentsissued by the National High Court and the Supreme Court:

Government Secretaries of the respective courts or to whom they delegate.

What can Lexidy do to help?

At Lexidy our lawyers will guide you step by step so you can get all your documents in order and can finish all your procedures